Upright-piano action.



L. N. SUPER.

UPRIGHT PIANO ACTION. AFFLICATION FILEfi JULY 20.1917.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

LnwIs NELSON sornn, or GUELPI-I, ONTARIO, CANADA.

urnIGH'r-PIANo AcTIoN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2'7, 1917.

Application filed July 20, 1917. Serial N 0. 181,740.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS N. SorER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Guelph, in the county of Wellington, Province of Ontario, and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Upright-Piano Actions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates. to upright piano actions, the broad object in view being to render an upright piano action as flexible and rapid in operation as the grand piano action.

A further object of the invention is to provide means capable of bein applied to upright piano actions alrea y manufactured so that they may be rendered as rapid in operation as a grand piano, insuring the light touch of the standard model action and obtaining the rapid and positive repeating capability required by the artist.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel. construction, combination and arrangement of parts, herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the parts of the improved action in the normal position of rest.

Fig. 2 shows the relative position of the parts after the .key has been released half way for a second stroke.

Fig. 3 shows the parts in check.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the resilient supporting arm.

Referring to the drawings, a designates the wippen, b the jack, 0 the hammer butt, d the counter check, e the counter check shank, f the back check and g the resilient rest or support.

The resilient support is in the form of a spring made out of a suitable length of wire, the formation of such spring being best illustrated in the detached view Fig. 4. The spring 9 may be made of spring wire of any suitable gage and is bent to comprise a short horizontal portion 1 which extends through the counter check shank e, as shown, closely adjacent to the counter check (5. The spring also comprises an arm 2 which rests upon the hammer butt 0, a cushion c of felt or other suitable material being fastened to the hammer butt and the extremity of the arm 2 resting thereagainst. Extending upwardly from the short horizontal portion 1 is an upright arm 3. This arm projects above the top of the counter check at and is then formed into several coils or convolutions 4. The spring is then extended to form an overhanging arm 5 which extends above and over the counter check (Z to which is secured a cushion d of felt or other suitable material for contact with the arm 5. At its free end the arm 5 terminates in one or more coils or convolutions 6, the end coil of which is shown as extended at 7, although such extension 7 is not necessary to the carrying out of this invention. The coils or convolutions 6 form a rounded and broad bearing on the top of the counter check (I. The arm 5 and the coils or convolutions 6 are so proportioned that the coils 6 will just clear the felt cushion d as the hammer moves toward its striking position. In the return movement of the hammer, the coils 6 rest upon and are supported by the back check f which has attached thereto as usual the cushion f of felt or other suitable material. By supporting the hammer butt in the return movement of the hammer, the jack is enabled to reseat itself when the key has accomplished one-half or less of its return movement.

In operation, when the hammer rebounds from the string, the coil or coils at the end of the spring impinge on top of the back check, thereby retarding the hammer and riding on the back check until the jack is reseated, which occurs when the key is about half way up. The improvement renders the upright piano more nearly perfect and artistic than ever before and will be found to meet every demand of the artist.

I claim:

1. In an upright piano action, the combination with a hammer butt, jack, counter check, counter check shank, and back check, of a resilient member movable with the counter check and adapted to rest on the of a resilient arm movable with the top of the back check While the parts are counter check and adapted to rest on the in check and at other times to clear the back top of the back check While the parts are 10 check. 7 in check only.

5 2. In an upright piano action, the com- In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

bination With a hammer butt, jack, counter check counter check shank, and back check, LEWIS NELSON SOPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained folfive cent: each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yatentg Washington, D. 0. 

